Method and system for determining and assigning wins in prize contests

ABSTRACT

A system for assigning wins in a prize contest comprises a supplier of media, which comprises a printing machine that is adapted to print on a medium a series of codes for taking part in a contest and a data collection center, which is identified by a data communications address printed on the medium and comprises memory means which store at least one time-dependent winning criterion, and comprises means for receiving a data communications request for participation on the part of a user and for receiving from the user one of the participation codes, the data collection center further comprising win assigning means, which are adapted to check whether the participation code reported by the user matches one of the participation codes and whether the connection time when said request was received complies with at least one time-dependent winning criterion.

The present invention relates to a method for determining and assigning wins in prize contests.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Consumer goods manufacturers and commercial organizations, such as in particular supermarkets or shopping centers, have been promoting prize contests based on the recognition of codes for a long time.

The working logic of these contests is based on creating a preset number of mutually different identification codes, each of which is assigned uniquely to an item of a consumer product or to a copy of a printed medium such as for example a card, a brochure, a magazine or others, distributed in manners and numbers that are random or preset according to preset criteria, such as for example the assignment of a certain number of cards depending on the amount spent.

The identification codes are printed directly on the packages of the items of the consumer products or on the printed media together with the rules for taking part in the contest.

Among all the generated and assigned identification codes, a preset number of so-called “winning identification codes” or “winning codes” is selected randomly, and the win of a prize is associated with each one of said codes. The winning identification codes are preset and stored in a database.

Generally, in order to take part in the contest, it is necessary to call a call center or connect to a website to which one reports the identification code indicated on the item of the consumer product that has been purchased or on the copy of the printed medium that one owns. The reported identification code is compared with the winning codes stored in the database. If said code matches one of said winning identification codes, the win is reported, and the winner is asked for personal data for delivery of the prize; otherwise, the participant is reported that he has not won and is optionally given the possibility to take part in random draws among all the codes reported by the users to the call center and that have not been the winning ones.

One of the main problems observed in holding these prize contests based on code recognition, usually organized by commercial organizations at their points of sale and not linked to the purchase of a specific consumer product, consists in that in order to report the identification codes it is necessary to resort to the use of dedicated communication or printed distribution media, such as for example cards, tickets, brochures or others, and to the distribution thereof to the public constituted by consumers.

For example, existing systems and methods do not use conventional checkout receipts, which necessarily have to be given to customers, as reporting and printing means for the distribution of identification codes.

The paper on which checkout receipts are printed is of the so-called thermal or data-processing type and is sold in continuous ribbons, which are wound in rolls and do not have printed on them a substantially unlimited number of mutually different identification codes.

The thermal or data-processing paper of checkout receipts or other material commonly used in points of sale (such as for example rolls of progressively-numbered tickets, used to determine the order in which clients must be served by a retailer) is in fact printed by using flexographic printing techniques, which as is known are of the repetitive type. Flexographic plates allow at best to print cyclically the same sequence of characters but not a continuously different sequence; in particular, they do not allow to print a sequence of identification codes that are all mutually different and are printed on the same roll of paper and on other rolls of paper.

Therefore, it is not possible to use checkout receipts or any other flexographic printing medium to communicate and distribute the identification codes, and it is inevitably necessary to resort to auxiliary and specifically dedicated printed communication and distribution media, such as cards, tickets, brochures or the like.

The use of these last media consequently entails a series of disadvantages affecting the commercial organizations that set up such a contest, including the fact that these auxiliary printed communication and distribution media have significant additional supply costs and the fact that their distribution, generally entrusted to checkout operators, slows the clearing of the queues of consumers at checkouts.

Another disadvantage linked to the use of auxiliary printed communication and distribution media is the waste of paper material.

Another problem observed in running prize contests based on code recognition in general consists in that they are vulnerable to fraud performed by attempts to enter false identification codes, i.e. identification codes that are not associated with a purchased item or with a received card but are generated randomly.

Yet another problem that is observed in running prize contests based on code recognition in general consists in that they do not ensure that all the prizes offered are assigned. The items of the consumer products or the copies of the printed communication and distribution media to which the winning identification codes are assigned might in fact not be purchased or distributed, or, even if they are distributed or purchased, their owners might not take part in the contest. Storage of the prizes that are not distributed causes an additional management and bureaucratic burden for manufacturers or for commercial organizations, especially if, due to legal provisions, the uncollected prizes must be donated to preset organizations by following a complex procedure.

Another problem that is observed in running prize contests based on code recognition in general consists in that it is not possible to follow preset criteria for distributing the winning identification codes or more specifically the prizes in the various points of sale of various geographical areas or of a same geographical area.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The aim of the present invention is to provide systems and methods for determining and assigning wins in prize contests that are capable of overcoming the problems mentioned above.

Within this aim, an object of the present invention is to provide a method that allows commercial organizations to run, at their points of sale, prize contests of the code-recognition type also by using checkout receipts or other printed media for repetitive printing (for example flexographic printing) normally used in performing their activities, without having to resort to the use of auxiliary and specifically dedicated printed communication and distribution material.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method that allows to run prize contests of the code-recognition type that are secure, i.e. immune to fraud based on the entry of false identification codes.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method that allows, according to preset criteria, to distribute wins in the points of sale of different geographical areas or of a same geographical area.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method that allows to assign all the prizes offered.

This aim and these and other objects that will become better apparent hereinafter are achieved by a method for assigning wins in a prize contest, comprising the steps of:

-   -   printing periodically on a medium, by means of a printing         machine, a series of codes for participating in said contest,         the number of codes in said series being limited by the         possibilities of repetitive printing of said machine;     -   printing on said print medium a data communications address for         taking part in the contest;     -   receiving, at a data collection center identified by said data         communications address, a data communications request for         participation on the part of a user, and waiting for said user         to report, via data communications means, one of said         participation codes;     -   if the code reported by the user matches one of said         participation codes, assigning a win to said user if the time         when said request was received complies with a time-dependent         winning criterion.

The intended aim and objects are also achieved by a system for assigning wins in a prize contest, characterized in that it comprises: a supplier of media, which comprises a printing machine that is adapted to print periodically on a medium a series of codes for taking part in said contest, the number of codes in said series being limited by the repetitive printing possibilities of said machine; and a data collection center, which is identified by a data communications address printed on said medium, said data collection center comprising memory means which store at least one time-dependent winning criterion and comprising means for receiving a data communications request for participation on the part of the user and for receiving from said user one of said participation codes, said data collection center further comprising win assigning means, which are adapted to check whether the participation code reported by the user matches one of said participation codes and whether the connection time when said request was received matches said at least one time-dependent winning criterion.

In particular, the printing machines used are of the thermal or flexographic type or are provided with a printing plate whose dimensions limit (and therefore determine) the number of codes that can be printed simultaneously and repetitively.

The print medium is preferably selected from the group that comprises rolls of paper for receipts and rolls of tickets for queue sorting, in which the participation codes and the data communications address are printed on a side of the medium that is not intended respectively for printing the sales receipt and for printing a progressive series of numbers for queue sorting. The paper is preferably of the thermal type.

Preferably, the time-dependent winning criterion comprises the steps of storing a plurality of winning times, storing at least one time interval, and comparing the connection time with at least one of the winning times, the connection time complying with the winning time criterion if the connection time is in the neighborhood of the winning time defined by the time interval.

Advantageously, after receiving the data communications request on the part of the user, the invention also comprises the steps of waiting for the user to report, over data communication means, data of a transaction printed on the medium, said transaction having occurred between said user and a retailer enabled to print said transaction data on said medium. Moreover, the system waits for the user to report personal information over data communications means.

Preferably, the win is assigned to the user if, in addition to the time-dependent winning criteria, the personal information and/or the transaction data reported by the user comply with auxiliary win determination criteria. These criteria, in particular, are met if the retailer or the geographical location of the user or of the transaction match a series of names or locations stored in the data collection center.

The data communications address of the data collection center can be, for example, a telephone number or an Internet address in the form of a URL. In the first case, the data collection center preferably provides means required to receive and interpret data input by the user by means of the keypad of a telephone, and in the second case the collection center is provided with means for receiving and interpreting data reported by the user according to an Internet communications protocol, for example HTML.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become better apparent from the following detailed description, given by way of non-limiting example and illustrated in the accompanying figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a system for performing the method according to the invention;

FIGS. 2 a and 2 b are respectively views of a roll for receipts and of an unwinding portion of said roll, on the back thereof the participation codes are indicated;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart that illustrates schematically the steps followed by the method according to the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a system for performing the method according to the invention.

The system comprises an operator 10, which manages a prize contest organized by an organization, such as for example a store chain, in various supply points that can be accessed by a user or customer 20; if the organization is a store chain, said supply points can be constituted by points of sale 30.

The operator 10 relies on a supplier 40 of print media used by the points of sale 30 in its ordinary activities, such as for example paper rolls for printing checkout receipts or numbered tickets for sorting customer queues. The paper that is used can be of the thermal type.

Moreover, the operator 10 relies on a data collection center 50, such as for example a call center, which is meant to manage the wins, and on a prize distribution center 60.

The operator 10 generates a finite series of participation codes or contest access codes, which are stored in a database 11 and reported to the supplier 40 and to the data collection center 50 for the reasons that will become better apparent hereinafter.

The number of codes of said series is compatible with the repetitive printing limitations of the machines that are adapted to print said codes on paper media, such as for example rolls for cash vouchers or tickets. For example, if the medium on which the participation codes will be printed is a strip of paper for receipts, a series can be constituted by 16 different codes.

The code, or a portion thereof, is preferably representative of a control key for detecting, at the operator or at the data collection center, whether the code is correct or corresponds to a specific contest.

The operator 10 also reports to the supplier 40 the informational notes for the user 20 related to how to enter the contest, which can be printed preferably on what will become the back of the checkout receipt or of the ticket, i.e. on the side of said medium that is not meant for the printing of the usual sales receipt.

The supplier 40 prints on the media the participation codes and the telephone number (or Web address) for connection to the data collection center 50, together with the informational notes related to how to enter the contest.

With particular reference to rolls of paper for checkout receipts, the printing of a finite sequence of texts that describe the contest is repeated cyclically on the back of each one; each text bears the number or address for connection to the data collection center 50, a code for entering the contest, the rules for entering the contest, and optionally advertising information. The texts of the sequence differ from one another in the different participation code that they bear; the same sequence is repeated along all of a same roll and along all the various rolls to be supplied to the points of sale 30.

For example, with reference to FIGS. 2 a and 2 b, one side of the ribbon 200 of a roll for checkout receipts has printed thereon a succession of boxes 205, each of which has a field 201 that contains the informational notes (constituted, for the sake of simplicity, by a telephone number that is identical for all the boxes 205 and is reported by the data collection center 50 to the supplier 40) and a field 202 that contains a code that is different in each box. The same code is repeated every N boxes within the same ribbon 200, as indicated by the interval 204 in FIG. 2 b.

The minimum portion of a print medium, particularly of a checkout receipt, will contain at least one complete text.

For each commercial transaction that has occurred between a user 20 and a point of sale 30, the user 20 receives a portion of medium, particularly of a checkout receipt, that certifies that the transaction has occurred.

By following the instructions given in the texts printed on the medium, the user 20 can connect to the data collection center 50 in order to enter the contest.

The data collection center 50 determines and assigns the wins; for this purpose, as will become better apparent in the continuation of the description, said center has available a memory unit 51, which stores a database that contains the participation codes, a database that contains data regarding the time-dependent criteria for determining wins, a database that contains the data regarding the prizes offered, an optional database that contains data on the auxiliary win distribution criteria, and a database that contains winning user identification data.

The data collection center 50 reports to the operator 10 the identification data of the winning users, who then send to the operator 10 a paper copy or other type of copy of documents that certify the authenticity of the completed transaction and of their identification data.

The operator 10, after checking the match between the identification data of the winning users received by the data collection center 50 with the data sent as confirmation by said users, reports to the prize distribution center 60 the details for distributing the prizes to the winning users.

With reference to FIG. 3, the method for determining and assigning wins is now described.

The user 20 who owns a medium that certifies that a transaction with a point of sale 30 has occurred, connects (100) to the data collection center 50 in order to send a data-communications request for participation, which comprises the sending of data on the part of the user.

If the data collection center 50 is a call center or an ACD (Automatic Call Distributor), the connection occurs by means of a telephone call and the data communications requests are reported by sending DTMF signals from the numeric keypad of the user's telephone. As an alternative, the data collection center 50 can be a network server that manages a portal to which it is possible to connect over data communications means, for example via the Internet.

The data collection center 50, after reminding the user 20 how to enter the contest, asks (101) said user for a participation code provided on the medium that said user possesses and checks its validity (102), i.e., its match with one of the participation codes stored in the appropriately provided database.

Optionally, the collection center checks at least one portion of the participation code in order to verify that it matches certain preset requirements, for example the formal correctness of the code or the inclusion of the code in a preset family of codes associated with a particular contest taking place in a certain region, and so forth.

If the supplied participation code is not recognized as valid, the availability of another attempt to enter a participation code is checked (103); if the maximum number of available attempts has not been used up, the request (101) for the participation code is repeated, otherwise the connection is interrupted (104).

If the reported participation code is recognized as valid, the data collection center 50 stores it (105) and acquires from the user 20 identification data of the transaction certified by the medium that he possesses (106) and the personal data (107) of said user.

In a preferred embodiment, the data collection center 50 further acquires the current time of the connection.

The identification data of the completed transaction can be constituted for example by the date when it occurred, by the amount spent or by an identification code of the retailer with whom the user made the transaction.

The personal data of the user may be constituted for example by the date of birth, taxpayer identification code, serial number of an identification document, or other data for which it is possible to provide a copy of a document that certifies their authenticity.

The data collection center 50 then creates (108) a complete code composed of the supplied participation code, the transaction identification data, the user's personal identification data, and optionally the current time of the collection, which are combined according to preset composition criteria: for example, the data might be sorted in the same sequence in which they have been provided.

The complete code that is thus generated is meant to identify uniquely the connected user 20, but does not contribute to determining the win.

The win is determined on the basis of preset time-dependent winning criteria, which are stored in an appropriately provided database 51, which is accessed by the data collection center 50.

In a preferred embodiment, the time-dependent winning criterion consists in determining preset winning times, for example with a period of 60 minutes. The time-dependent criteria can be updated and modified daily: for example, the daily period can be reduced if many prizes offered were unassigned in the previous day.

The data collection center 50 then checks (109) whether the current time of the user's connection to the data collection center meets the current time-dependent winning criterion.

In the particular case in which the time-dependent winning criterion is constituted by a preset winning time, if the current connection time is later than the current winning time and therefore the corresponding win is still available, the connected user is assigned the win.

Only in this case the complete code of the connected user is stored (110) in the corresponding database as a winning code and the winning time updated to the next winning time.

Therefore, the wins are not determined on the basis of the participation codes printed on the media or on the basis of the codes supplied by users, but on the basis of fully independent time-related criteria.

Finally, the winning user is assigned (111) a prize and, before the connection is closed, he is asked to provide his information for delivery and to send to the operator 10 a paper copy or other kind of copy of the medium that he possesses which certifies the transaction completed at the point of sale 30 and with which he has entered the contest, and of his personal documents that certify the authenticity of the data that he has supplied.

The operator 10, after receiving from the data collection center 50 the data related to the winners and after receiving from said winners a confirmation copy of the media that they possess, which certify the transactions completed with the points of sale 30, and of their personal documents, which certify the authenticity of their personal data, checks their match and then issues orders to the prize distribution center 60 to deliver the prizes.

The data of the winners shall contain at least the complete winning code, any winning time/connection time, the code of the assigned prize and the complete personal data of the user.

If the current connection time precedes the current winning time, the corresponding win thereof has therefore already been. assigned, the user who is still connected is asked (112) whether he has available another participation code that might be present either on the same medium or on another medium that he possesses; if so, the procedure is repeated, otherwise the connection is closed (113).

In an alternative embodiment, the time-dependent winning criterion consists in assigning a preset time interval associated with a winning time. In this case, a user is potentially a winner if the connection time (for example, the moment when the data collection center answers the call of the user) is in the neighborhood of the winning time defined by said preset interval.

In a preferred embodiment, in order to determine the win, auxiliary win distribution criteria are provided in addition to the time-dependent determination criteria.

A first auxiliary distribution criterion could be for example geographical, on the basis of which a given province in which the points of sale are present, or the individual points of sale of a same province, is or are assigned a preset number of wins to be assigned during the entire period of validity of the contest or in a preset time interval thereof.

In this case, in step (106) for acquiring the data of the transaction, the user is asked to supply a data item that identifies the province or location where the point of sale where the transaction occurred is located; said data item can be constituted for example by the abbreviation of the province, by the postcode.

In another preferred embodiment, the auxiliary distribution criterion might be of the telephone area code-related type, on the basis of which each area code of the fixed or mobile network is given a preset number of wins to be assigned. In this case, in step (107) the data collection center 50 automatically detects the telephone number of the calling user, from which the area code is extracted.

In this case, after checking the match with the time criteria in step 109, there is a procedure (114) for verifying the auxiliary win distribution criteria. If said criteria are met (for example, if wins are still available for a certain province), the connected user is assigned the win; otherwise, the user is asked (112) whether he has another participation code available: if so, the procedure is repeated, otherwise the connection is closed (113).

With the method according to the invention, the only codes that are checked for recognition are the participation codes. These codes exist only in a limited number and are checked only in order to be able to grant access to the contest, but determining and assigning the wins does not depend on them.

The win determination and assignment criteria are independent of any code, since the criteria are of the time-dependent type and are optionally combined with auxiliary criteria for win distribution of a geographical kind, of a telephone area code-related kind, or others.

The generation of the complete codes is meant to identify uniquely the users who have performed a commercial transaction in a point of sale and who, having entered the contest, have won, and to check the authenticity of the data related to the completed transaction and to their own personal identity that they have supplied, so as to be able to deliver the prizes only to genuine winning users.

Moreover, the method according to the invention allows distribution of all the prizes offered and to avoid stock residues; the prizes that are not assigned during one day, for example, can be added to the prizes planned for the next day or distributed in subsequent days, for which, therefore, the time-dependent and/or auxiliary distribution criteria are updated consequently.

The person skilled in the art easily understands that the steps described above can be performed by any computer, computer hardware, and/or software component and by telecommunications means that are programmed by way of conventional techniques in order to take into account the informational data and the procedures required by the present invention.

It is also evident that the inventive concept on which the present invention is based is independent of the specific use of the described components. Therefore, the scope of the protection of the claims must not be limited by the illustrations or by the preferred embodiments described in the description by way of example, but rather the claims must encompass all the characteristics of patentable novelty that reside within the present invention, including all the characteristics that would be treated as equivalent by the person skilled in the art.

The disclosures in PCT/IT2005/000263 from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein by reference. 

1. A method for assigning wins in a contest, comprising: printing periodically on a print medium a series of codes for participating in said contest, the number of codes in said series being limited by the possibilities of repetitive printing of said machine; printing on said print medium a data communications address for taking part in the contest; receiving, at a data collection center identified by said data communications address, a data communications request for participation on the part of a user, and waiting for said user to report one of said participation codes; if the code reported by the user matches one of said participation codes, assigning a win to said user if the connection time when said request was received complies with a time-dependent winning criterion.
 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein printing periodically on a print medium comprises printing with a flexographic printing machine.
 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said medium is selected from the group that comprises rolls of paper for checkout receipts and rolls of tickets for queue sorting .
 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said time-dependent winning criterion comprises: storing a plurality of winning times; storing at least one time interval; and comparing said connection time to at least one of said winning times, said connection time matching said time-dependent winning criterion if the connection time is in a neighborhood of said winning time defined by said at least one time-dependent interval.
 5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that after the step of receiving said data communications request, the method further comprises the steps of: waiting for the user to report, over a data communications network, data of a transaction that is printed on said medium, said transaction having occurred between said user and a retailer who is enabled to print on said medium said transaction data: and waiting for the user to report personal data over a data communications network.
 6. The method according to claim 5, wherein said win is assigned permanently to said user if at least one of said personal data and said transaction data conform to an auxiliary win determination criteria.
 7. The method according to claim 6, wherein said auxiliary criteria are met if at least one of said retailer, the geographical location of said user, and said transaction match at least one of series of names and a series of locations stored in said data collection center.
 8. A system for assigning wins in a prize contest, comprising: a media supplier comprising a printing machine adapted to print periodically on a medium a series of codes for participating in said contest, the number of codes in said series being limited by the possibilities of repetitive printing of said machine; a data collection center, identified by a data communications address printed on said medium, said collection center comprising storage means which store at least one time-dependent winning criterion, and comprising means for receiving a data communications request for participation from a user and for receiving from said user one of said participation codes, said data collection center further comprising win assignment means, which are adapted to check whether the participation code reported by the user matches one of said participation codes and whether the connection time when said request was received complies with said at least one time-dependent winning criterion.
 9. The system according to claim 8, wherein said printing machine is a flexographic printing machine.
 10. The system according to claim 8, wherein said medium is selected from the group consisting of rolls of paper for receipts and rolls of tickets for queue sorting, wherein said participation codes and said data communications address are printed on one side of said medium that is not intended for printing the sales receipt and for printing a progressive numeric series for queue sorting.
 11. The system according to claim 8, wherein said time-dependent winning criterion comprises a plurality of winning times and at least one time interval stored in said memory means, said connection time conforming to said time-dependent winning criterion if the connection time falls in the neighborhood of said winning time defined by said at least one time-dependent interval.
 12. The system according to claim 8, wherein said collection center further comprises: means for receiving from said user, over a data communications network, data of a transaction printed on said medium, said transaction having occurred between said user and a retailer enabled to print said transaction data on said medium; and means for receiving personal data over a data communications network from said user.
 13. The system according to claim 12, wherein said memory means comprise additionally stored auxiliary criteria for determining wins; said data collection center comprises means for checking the conformity of at least one of said personal data and said transaction data with said auxiliary win determination criteria.
 14. The system according to claim 13, wherein said collection center comprises at least one of stored names of retailers and preset geographical locations, said conformity being met if at least one of said retailer and the geographical location of said user or of said transaction matches at least one of a series of names and a series of locations stored in said data collection center.
 15. A method for assigning wins in a prize contest, comprising: printing a code for participating in said prize contest; receiving, at a data collection center identified by said data communications address, a data communications request for participation on the part of a user, and waiting for said user to report, via data communications means, said participation code; and assigning a win to said user if the connection time when said request was received complies with a time-dependent winning criterion.
 16. The method according to claim 15, wherein said medium is selected from the group consisting of checkout receipts, queue sorting, lottery tickets, and newspapers.
 17. The method according to claim 16, wherein said time-dependent winning criterion comprises: storing a plurality of winning times; storing at least one time interval; and comparing said connection time to at least one of said winning times, said connection time matching said time-dependent winning criterion if the connection time is in a neighborhood of said winning time defined by said at least one time-dependent interval.
 18. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that after the step of receiving said data communications request, the method further comprises the steps of: waiting for the user to report, over a data communications network, data of a transaction that is printed on said medium, said transaction having occurred between said user and a retailer who is enabled to print on said medium said transaction data: and waiting for the user to report personal data over a data communications network.
 19. The method according to claim 18, wherein said win is assigned permanently to said user if at least one of said personal data and said transaction data conform to an auxiliary win determination criteria.
 20. The method according to claim 19, wherein said auxiliary criteria are met if at least one of said retailer, the geographical location of said user, and said transaction match at least one of series of names and a series of locations stored in said data collection center. 